Emberwood i'm not your problem anymore

for @Earp (or @Derg?) and @Donovan Azura

she slipped into the treeline, eager to get away from the stinking mud of the wetlands. they were rich ecosystems, worth exploration for the nutrient rich vegetation — but one had to be in the mood for the humidity and thick scent of rot, and the hard work of traversing through the sucking mire. today, sadhbh was not, and so she sought the solid ground of the emberwood.

without a pack to support her in taking down large prey, the she-wolf was constantly hungry. she supposed it had been that way, always, but her mother had at least brought her what scraps of ungulate meat she could sneak to sadhbh's solitary den. the last time she had tasted moose or elk...

she licked saliva from the corners of her lips.

it wouldn't do to dwell on that; after all, she knew how to survive on small game almost exclusively. lunch time, then. sadhbh moved between the aspens, fiery eyes searching the forest floor for signs of a warren, nose twitching as she analyzed the scents in the air for one that might lead her to her quarry.

Donovan paws through the area, always on a whim to explore the surrounding area. After all, it’s best to know the lands beyond your territory just in case he had to escape from a hairy situation with his pack in tow. Just in case, you know? Hopefully he won’t need it, but it’s a common thing his father did and finally taught him as he passed on the torch of leadership. His mother and father would be proud at what he’s done — of what he has. 

Anyhow, he continues onward. The coniferous trees provide a fair amount of shade as he saunters through. Golden eyes flirting with the horizon and attempting to look past trees, always on high alert. Crack. The noise makes him freeze and his ears swivel to hear where the noise comes from. Slowly turning around he hopes to everything he has in him it’s not a fucking bear or mountain lion. The starburst wound covered in teeth marks from the ever vicious Nemisis still hurts and it would definitely be a tough battle with the pain that shoots through his shoulder. Though if he fights he’ll definitely open it again. 

Still, he can’t help himself. When he turns around and begins heading towards the sound it’s like every second in slowed down. Each paw takes an eternity to land and then all of a sudden he’s releasing a gasp and practically jumping up into the air when a wild hare shoots out from behind a tree. Oh, you’re kidding me. Flits through his mind and a frown tilts his mouth downward and his brows furrow. Shaking his head he turns back in the direction he was going before — maybe it was nothing.

Earp slunk through the woodland, seeming to be regrowing after being charred.
Not the fire the lovely, longlegged girl whose name he'd forgotten how to pronounce had been hurt in.
But all the same, a fire that caused pain.
Perhaps he would've been alone, were it another day
But today, no.

He trailed behind another man. Tall, dark and swathed with caramel squiggles and the like.
A lovely pelt.
He was injured though. Every step seemed like a forced effort and even a small step up was an issue.
Earp was good at going unnoticed.
But a hare escaped from behind a tree, spooked by the behemouth, Earp couldn't help but jump too.

Then he saw her.
Another, femminine. He couldn't hunt one if there was two, so emerged, suspecting his cover to be blown anyway.
" 'ello tuh yous," he started. No point in being frigid.